Postal Service

Bipartisan Senate group takes stand against Postal Service privatization

Six U.S. senators from both parties last week sponsored a resolution opposing any move to sell the U.S. Postal Service, or key parts of it, to private sector investors, something Trump administration officials have said they are contemplating.

Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., is leading the effort to preserve the Postal Service’s independence and service obligation to every address in America.

Standing alongside more than 100 rural letter carriers at a Capitol Hill rally earlier in the week, Peters...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/bipartisan-senate-group-takes-stand-against-postal-service-privatization

US ranks low among international postal services on financial flexibility

The U.S. Postal Service has less flexibility to address financial shortfalls than mail systems in other countries because of its obligation to provide universal service, the size of population served and regulatory limits on competing with the private sector outside its core postal business, according to the agency’s independent watchdog. 

The Postal Service’s business model is largely restricted to postal products, making it one of the least diversified posts in the world, the Office of...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/us-ranks-low-among-international-postal-services-on-financial-flexibility

FedEx poised to adjust air network in efficiency drive

FedEx will accelerate its transformation toward a leaner enterprise in the second half of the year when it ramps up segmentation of its air assets and sheds daytime flying capacity tied to an expiring U.S. Postal Service contract, said Chief Financial Officer John Dietrich at a recent Bank of America conference.

Efficiencies gained by those restructuring efforts are positioning the integrated parcel and logistics giant for growth when the freight market eventually improves, Dietrich explained....

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/fedex-poised-to-adjust-air-network-in-efficiency-drive

Megawatt grants electrify truck charging corridors

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Startup electric truck infrastructure developer WattEV won’t say how much money it has raised from...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/megawatt-grants-electrify-truck-charging-corridors

Postal Service begins rolling out electric mail trucks

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The U.S. Postal Service really didn’t want battery-electric delivery trucks, but some White House...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/postal-service-begins-rolling-out-electric-mail-trucks

Early 20th century mail delivery took unusual forms

vintage photo delivering mail UPSPS 1885

In almost 250 years of service, the U.S. Postal Service has tried out scores of vehicles and methods of delivery. Some of the most unusual ones were experiments and inventions of the late 1800s through the mid-1900s.

In digging through the archives of the Smithsonian’s National Postal Museum, we found interesting photos of these inventions.

Check out some of the unusual ways the United States delivered mail back in the day.

In 1885, letter carriers in cities used handcarts to collect and deliver...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/early-20th-century-mail-delivery-took-unusual-forms

How Benjamin Franklin changed the Postal Service

Benjamin Franklin’s importance in American history is undisputed, but his lesser-known work as postmaster general may have laid the foundations for his later accomplishments.

In fact, it is very likely that his broader renown could be thanks to his time with the Postal Service.

In 1737, Franklin became the postmaster of Philadelphia, appointed by Deputy Postmaster General of America Alexander Spotswood. Control of the Postal Service remained under the British crown, since this was still almost...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/how-benjamin-franklin-changed-the-postal-service

Teamsters unionizes some truck drivers at large US Postal Service fleet

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New terminals at a major contractor of the U.S. Postal Service voted to unionize with the...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/teamsters-unionizes-some-truck-drivers-at-large-us-postal-service-fleet

The dangerous job of delivering mail by air in the early 20th century

FreightWaves Classics is sponsored by Old Dominion Freight Line — Helping the World Keep Promises. Learn more here.

In 1918, the U.S. Postal Service started to experiment with delivering mail by planes, even though the technology was still new. Cockpits were still open-air and passenger planes weren’t even considered yet. From 1918 to 1927, 34 airmail pilots lost their lives in accidents on the job.

Despite the risks, it was a coveted job and pilots were treated similarly to how astronauts are...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/the-dangerous-job-of-delivering-mail-by-air-in-the-early-20th-century

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